Just like the heroes in the stories
by King-Mac-11
Summary: Ruby finds herself in quite the predicament. This is not a normal situation in any sense of the word. You'd think it was a bad fanfiction or something... wait...
1. Spot the Difference

**King: Hey everybody! With the end o "Silent Voices" and "Not Quite what it seems" on a hiatus, I wanted to make a new story. Here's hoping you all have fun with the story.**

 **/\**

Ruby was bored. That's not to say the fact that she was bored had anything to do with the fact that her team got detention for one of their outbursts knocking over a few shelves in the library and now they had to pick up all the books and put them back where they belonged. Of course, she wasn't _not_ say that either.

 _…_ _wait. What?_

Okay. Start over. Ruby was bored. Detention. Stuck in the library. Cleaning up mess. That's about it. Unlike the terror of being hunted by Justinian during his personal style of detention, this was underwhelming as a punishment. Ruby just kept picking up books and put them back on the shelves. Nothing really worth talking about. She did find some interesting books, however. Books like, _Weapon Forger's Master Guild_ , _Guild to Ballistics, Blade of the King_ (which had a cover with a bloody sword and a cow skull), and a weird book that didn't have a title. It had a solid black cover and was bound like some of the oldest books in the library, but it was clearly a new addition. Safe to say, her curiosity got the best of her. When the sorting business was over, she checked out the book.

"So, which weapon book is my little sis getting this time?" Yang snuck up and wrapped an arm across Ruby's shoulders.

"Yang… I don't _only_ check out weapon books."

"It is a safe bet though." Yang looked at the book. "What kind of book is it, anyway?"

"Don't know. I saw it while we were picking up the books."

"Alright. Let me know if it's like the smut in Blake's books." Yang got a text on her scroll. "Well… Blake's hearing is as impressive as ever." On Yang's scroll was the phrase [ **It's not smut!** ] from Blake, naturally.

Ruby rolled her eyes and walked off to see what the book had in store. She found a spot in one of Beacon's gardens that was nice and secluded, in case it did turn out to be smut like Yang suggested. It was toward the back of the campus and no one really walked back there too often. Ruby felt the anticipation as she opened the cover of the book to find… nothing. It was blank?! _Well… that's disappointing._

Ruby was going to close the book, but it seemed to lock itself open.

 _What?_

The pages started to flip wildly and the book as a whole wrenched itself from her grasp and flew to the ground.

"What on Remnant?!"

The next thing Ruby knew, her world started to distort and disappear. Everything had gone white before she blacked out.

\/

Ruby woke up with a jolt and looked around. She found herself in the garden closest to the entrance to Beacon. _How did I get here?_ Ruby walked out and found a multitude of students in the main courtyard. Nothing out of the ordinary there, but it seemed… off. Like something was there, but it shouldn't be.

"That would be you."

Ruby spun around but found nothing. However, this action made her realized something about her situation. She only now noticed that the world around her seemed frozen in time. "What the…?" That wasn't the strangest thing though. No, that would be the silhouette wearing a golden crown floating in front of her. "Who are you?"

"I am the author."

"Okay… So, you're an author…"

"Not _an_ author. _The_ author. I am the creator of the world that is now around you. Your presence has disrupted my work and now I must retool the story as a result."

"Okay… Look, I just want to go home. I have a test in class tomorrow and Weiss will yell at me if I don't study."

"My apologies, but you can't leave."

"You can't keep me here."

"I'm not. You have become a part of the story. The only way out is to end the story. The only way to do that is for you to play your part."

"This seems a little odd."

"It should… Consider this next part as exposition if you must, but it is necessary for you to understand the rules. First, you are a part of the story and are stuck here until 'The End.' Second, you must never mention your own world. Finally, this is not your world, everything and everyone you know is different here. You are but strangers here. There is no connection to your own world beyond names. There are many differences and you must take this into account. These are your rules. Good luck Miss Rose. Have a fun initiation." With that, the figure disappeared and the world started to move again.

"Well, that happened." Ruby looked around, almost hoping to see a familiar face, to no avail. It looks like the figure was telling the truth.

"Stop that bottle!"

Ruby looked toward the voice and, in the process, found the bottle in question. It was a vial of dust with the Schnee symbol on one side.

Ruby looked back the source of the voice and found a young girl with short white hair. She had a white dress that reached her knees and a matching pair of dress pants underneath. An odd choice to Ruby, but she didn't want to judge. At the girl's side was a saber with a strange handle that almost seemed familiar to Ruby.

"I take it this is yours." Ruby held the bottle toward the new face.

"Thank you so much! I'm so sorry for troubling you."

"It's no trouble. Really."

"But… If I wasn't such a klutz I wouldn't have dropped it. It's dust! I should know better than to drop it. What if something happened? What if it exploded and destroyed the courtyard?!" The girl was becoming more and more panicked.

Ruby smiled nervously. "Seriously, it's okay. Everyone makes mistakes. So, how about we try this again. I'm Ruby Rose."

"N-nice to meet you Ruby. I'm Weiss Schnee."

…

…

…

…

 _WHAT!?_ Ruby had a hard time believing that this was Weiss Schnee. It almost seemed too ridiculous, like a bad fanfiction. Her scroll vibrated saying she got a text. She opened it and found a message [ **I resemble that remark.** ], from a K-M-11. _Weird…_

Ruby returned her attention to the 'Weiss' before her. She could see how this might be Weiss with a new style and an altered personality, but it still seemed weird. Ruby cleared her throat. "Sorry about that. It's nice to meet you Weiss."

Ruby had almost gotten used to all of this when an arm wrapped around her shoulder. The arm was toned and warm, it reminded her of Yang… _Oh no! What is Yang like in this world?_ The thought filled Ruby with dread. Then, she heard the voice.

"My baby sis made her first friend at Beacon? I'm so proud of you!" The voice was masculine… Masculine? Ruby turned slightly to see a young man with long, vibrant blonde hair. He had purple eyes and a look of a joker. Almost like a male Yang…

 _Oh dear Oum…_

The blonde stepped around Ruby and held out his hand. "Hello there. Name's Yang Xiao Long. I'm Ruby's older brother."

This world's Weiss flew around 'Yang' and hid behind Ruby.

"Aw… and here I thought we were really hitting it off."

No doubt about it… this was Yang. Ruby wasn't sure where to begin with this world. She wasn't sure if she wanted to… but she was here now and, if that weird silhouette was telling the truth, she can't leave until the story ends. She could only take a deep breath and prepare for what was to come.

\/

All the students gathered in the main hall and everything seemed the same to what Ruby experienced. Of course, in this world her brother, _still going to take some getting used to,_ was a bit more attentive and stuck by her side up to the event and there was a lack of explosions. She also had yet to meet Blake or Jaune. Other than that, nothing particularly new.

As the teacher on the stage, likely Professor Goodwitch but Ruby didn't want to assume considering Weiss and Yang, finished her speech, she stepped aside for a man in a green suit and silver hair. His arms were behind his back and he had a pair of glasses that resembled the kind the Ozpin of Ruby's world wore.

"Now then," he began, "I hope you are all prepared for initiation. Because it begins right now."

The room erupted in confused murmurs and excited cries.

"Allow me to explain…" the room became quiet as he spoke again, "Tonight is your time to rest. Tomorrow, you will be tested to determine your teams for the next four years. Prepare yourselves… for it will not be an easy task." With that, he walked away.

\/

Another similarity to Ruby's personal experience was the fact that the sleeping area was co-ed. Ruby looked around hoping to find another familiar face. She found a few that might be familiar… but she couldn't be certain. Ruby sighed and looked to her side. On one side was Weiss, doing her best to avoid everyone but the friend she made. On the other side was Yang, already sleeping. Ruby wanted to stand up and get a glass of water, but Weiss made that difficult.

"Hey. I get this vibe that you might want to get something." Ruby looked up to see a young man with black hair and a pair of cat ears. "Overly shy friends make that difficult though."

"Um… I just want some water."

"Alright then." The young man walked away. After a while, he returned with a glass of water. "Is this what you were after?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"No problem."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Ruby Rose."

"Blake. Blake Belladonna. I'll see you around, Ruby." Blake walked back to his corner and sat down with a book in hand.

Ruby smiled. _At least some things don't change._

\/

The next day, Ruby and the others gathered at the cliff-face. In front of them was the same two teachers from yesterday. The platinum blonde teacher with her hair in a ponytail cleared her throat to catch the students' attention. "Students. Below us is the Emerald Forest. Within are a multitude of Grimm. This will be a dangerous endeavor if you are not prepared. We will not interfere if something happens. It is possible that you might die. Be ready for anything."

The man in the green suit stepped forward. "Your objective is to make it to the center of the forest and retrieve one of the artifacts within. After that, you are to return here with the artifact in hand. That said, this is also to divide you into teams. The first person you make eye contact with in the forest will be your partner for the next four years. Are there any questions?"

The group remained silent. Ruby looked around, almost expecting Jaune to speak up, but it never arrived. She looked back toward the forest, ready for them to be thrown into the fray.

"Now then," the teacher with the green suit snapped his fingers and the platforms all launched at once. "Good luck."

\/

Ruby made a simple landing and darted off. She knew that this world's Weiss would be a wreck and she wasn't sure about this world's Yang. She needed to make sure she was on the same team to keep an eye on them. Ruby used her semblance to speed through the forest to find at least one of them.

Oh… she found one alright. She found Weiss, who was face to face with an Ursa. The Grimm gave out a deep roar and charged forward. Weiss flipped to the side and slashed at the creature. The Grimm roared in pain and tried to swipe at the heiress (assuming she is one in this world). Weiss jumped the paw and reeled back her arm. Her sword started to glow a feint red and she brought the blade down onto the Ursa's neck and decapitated the creature. This Weiss almost seemed confident, strong willed, almost like the Weiss Ruby knew… Then she collapsed onto her knees, shaking.

Ruby sighed and walked toward her. "You were awesome!"

Weiss jumped upon hearing Ruby, but calmed when she realized who it was. "T-thanks…"

"We should get moving. Wouldn't want a repeat of all this too soon after all."

Weiss gave a weak smile. "Y-yeah. That's probably a good idea."

Ruby and Weiss made their way to the center of the forest. Sitting on various pedestals were a multitude of chess pieces. Ruby looked around and saw two figures approaching. Thankfully, it was Blake and Yang.

Ruby's brother ( _Still not used to that._ ) waved. "Hey Ruby! I see you found your new friend."

Weiss hid behind Ruby again.

"Still too shy to talk, I see. That's fine. I have this feeling we'll have time to get you to open up eventually."

The group walked up and grabbed both white knight pieces. When they returned, they became team RWBY. **/\**

 **King: Here's the new story. Now, before I get the inevitable comments about their characters, remember the rules.** **Any who... I hope you all enjoyed the story. If not, I won't hold it against you and you are free to leave at any time.**


	2. Triple Battle

Ruby and her team walked through the doors and entered the classroom. Based on the arena in the middle, this was most likely the combat classroom. Ruby was actually looking forward to this, it was a chance to see what her team was capable of and she might find some other familiar faces. Ruby took a seat by her team and waited for the teacher to approach. She expected Professor Goodwitch.

The teacher that actually walked out had slicked back orange hair and a scar over his right eye. He wore a white jacket and combat attire with a silver scarf. "Hello students. My name is Roman Torchwick. You will address me as Professor while in class."

Ruby sort of shut down seeing Torchwick as the professor. She quickly regained her composure and took a deep breath. _Okay… So Torchwick is a professor here. At least I don't have to fight him._

Professor Torchwick looked at his scroll. "Now then, how about a match to see what you can do. How about…" Torchwick looked through the class roster and choose two names at random. "Cardin Winchester and Jaune Arc."

Ruby sprung to attention at hearing those names. _So Jaune is here._ Ruby was wondering where he was during initiation. Then she thought back to her own world. A match between Cardin and Jaune… _Is Cardin a bully here, too? Did Jaune get any more training before coming to Beacon?_

Two students entered the ring. The first was a young man wearing some basic armor: chest piece and armbraces over a solid black t-shirt. He had jeans and boots as well as a tattoo on the right side of his face of an eagle design. The other had short blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore a black hoodie with orange accents and a gold, double crescent symbol on his back along with a pair of black pants and combat boots. The board on the wall revealed the first to be Cardin and the second was Jaune.

 _So that's what Jaune looks like in this world._

Torchwick looked between the two students. "Are you both ready?"

Cardin took a deep breath and drew his mace. "Ready."

Jaune sighed and looked over to Cardin. "Before we get started, I want to give you a chance to leave."

"What?"

"A chance to leave the ring before you embarrass yourself.

"Is that supposed to be an insult?"

"I always believed in giving my opponents a way out without getting hurt. Not my fault if you don't take it."

Torchwick rolled his eyes. "Both students are ready." He raised his hand and brought it down between them. "Begin!"

Cardin charged forward and moved to bring his mace down on Jaune's head. However, the blonde dodged to the side and jumped back to gain distance. Cardin moved and retained a bit of momentum for a second charge. The only difference was the result. Jaune moved only slightly and held out his arm to deliver a lariat to Cardin's face. Cardin flew forward feet first and landed flat on his back.

 _Woah… Jaune's pretty strong in this world too…_

Jaune regained his normal stance. "Last chance Winchester."

Cardin's eyes were filled with anger. He flipped and punched the ground repeatedly. Each time, Ruby could actually feel the room's temperature rising. As he stood, Cardin's aura started to glow. He slammed his mace onto the ground and the floor beneath Jaune erupted into fire. "There's your 'last chance,' Arc." As the fires died, Cardin nearly had a fit. Jaune was standing, undamaged, in the inferno. "How?!" He swung his mace and a fireball flew from the weapon toward Jaune.

Jaune raised his arm as though he had a shield. Then, suddenly, he did. It was a shield seemingly made of light. The fireball hit the shield and it just bounced off. "Does that answer your question?"

Cardin was pissed and confused at the same time. He moved to charge Jaune, but felt his pants leg catch on something. Cardin looked down and found that he had been pinned by a throwing knife. "What the…?"

"Pay attention, Winchester." With a flick of Jaune's wrists, he had a multitude of knives in both hands, "or you might miss it." Jaune moved with a certain level of grace and skill. He threw each knife and they all hit home against Cardin. The assault ripped through Cardin's aura as though it was nothing. He left only a little bit of aura above the red for Cardin before turning around. "We're done here."

Cardin's anger got the better of him. "You think you can just walk away?! We're not done here! I can still fight! You think you can just turn away and ignore me because you had those little knives?! I still have aura! You don't get to decide when this is over! Just what the hell do you think you are?!"

Jaune spun back around in a flash and one last knife flew straight to Cardin's head, depleting enough aura to win the match. Jaune slowly pumped his fist victoriously and softly spoke to himself. "I am fucking awesome."

"Winner: Jaune Arc." Torchwick had Cardin taken from the ring and looked to the time on his scroll. "Looks like we still have some time for another match. Now, before I pick at random, do we have volunteers?"

A hand shot up immediately. "I'm in!" Yang stood and made his way to the ring.

"Right then, Mr. Xiao Long… Now you need an opponent." When no one wanted to enter the ring, Professor Torchwick looked through the seats. He paused and raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Lie Ren. Please enter the arena."

As Ren got ready, Yang stood in the arena. His combat outfit was somewhat similar to the Yang from Ruby's world. He had a yellow shirt with his symbol over his heart, not that you could see it since he also wore a dark brown jacket. He also had a pair of dark pants and boots. He also wore a bright yellow sash over his belt and a pair of fingerless gloves. He started prepping for the match by throwing some practice swings. During this, Ruby noticed that Yang's weapon was a pair of brass knuckles.

Yang looked toward the door as it opened. "About time. I've been getting bored."

The young man that walked out, who was apparently Lie Ren, was not what Ruby had been expecting. For one thing, he wore a green, zip-up sweatshirt and a pair of grey pants with black shoes. _Nothing too out of the ordinary…_ His black hair was accented with a pair of pink stripes on either side. His eyes were covered by a pair of dark-tinted glasses. He had a pair of headphones around his neck as well.

"You are Lie Ren?"

"I am."

"Cool." Yang entered a boxing-style stance. "You ready to fight."

"One sec." Ren took the headphones around his neck and put the over his ears. "Let's dance."

Yang raised an eyebrow but just kept smiling. "Let's" He charged forward and swung with his right fist. Only to be met with air. "What?"

Ren had dropped to the ground and started to spin, kicking Yang's legs out from under him. Ren's movements almost looked like he _was_ dancing. Ren spun and landed back on his feet. Ren jumped into the air and brought his foot down toward Yang, who dodged the attack. Except, that when Ren's foot hit the ground, Yang was sent flying with a sonic blast.

Yang got back to his feet fairly quickly. "What the…?"

"Like it? I find the bass to be quite the effective fighting tool."

"What?"

Ren moved toward Yang and threw a few punches, but it still seemed to follow some kind of dance moves. When Yang tried to retaliate, Ren dodged the attacks with a series of flips and leans that looked an awful lot like breakdancing. Ren landed a small strike to Yang's shoulder, but Yang felt the hit through his whole arm. After a few more minutes, the two jumped back and stood opposite one another.

"That feeling… how did you do that?"

"It's my semblance, Yang. For instance…" Ren did another flip and tried to dropkick the blonde brawler.

Yang was able to block the attack, but felt a vibration through his body. He actually heard the bass Ren was talking about. Yang's knees buckled beneath him and he fell to a kneeling position as a result.

"You see, with my semblance, the bass drops you." Ren placed both hands over Yang's ears and a cavalcade of sound tore what was left of Yang's aura apart. Ren let go and left Yang unconscious.

"Winner: Lie Ren."

Yang popped back to consciousness and looked around in a panic. "What?!" Yang stood up with a bit of difficulty and walked back to his seat only to find Lie Ren nearby. He grabbed Ren's shoulder and the young man removed his headphones before Yang spoke. "How did you beat me?"

"With the beat." Ren replaced his headphones before Yang pulled them back off with a look that was quite threatening. Ren sighed. "I'm serious. Your fighting style had to try to play off mine. My style is played through the beat. By trying to match my beat, you left yourself open." Ren grabbed his headphones from Yang and placed them back on his ears.

Yang groaned and sat back down next to Ruby and the rest of the team. "First match and it's a loss…"

Blake placed a hand on Yang's shoulder. "It happens, Yang."

"I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"True… Looks like Professor Torchwick is getting another pair for a match. Will we get to see Weiss fight in the ring?"

Weiss hid behind Ruby at the mention of a match.

"Guess not."

Torchwick looked around for any volunteers. "So, no one wants to be the last match of the day? Too bad. Two more of you are entering the ring right now. So… how about… Blake Belladonna."

"Wish me luck." Blake stood up and made his way to the ring. When Blake arrived in the ring, he was wearing a black, almost military dress suit with a katana at his side. "Ready."

Torchwick looked back at the roster. "…and for an opponent… Sun Wukong."

A blonde, female monkey faunas jumped into the ring. She had an open button-up shirt with a cloth wrapping covering her chest. She wore a pair of jeans and sneakers. She drew a pair of nunchaku she snapped together into a staff. "Nice to meet you… Blake, was it?"

Blake smiled and dropped into a quick draw stance. "That's right, Ms. Wukong."

Roman raised his hand and dropped it between them. "Fight!"

Blake flew forward and drew his sword in the blink of an eye, only to be blocked by Sun's staff. Blake recoiled and swung for a succession of attacks all with a similar result. Sun separated her staff and moved to strike Blake with the nunchaku and chipped away at his aura. Sun jumped off of Blake's shoulder and landed balancing atop her staff.

Sun smiled from atop her staff. "Sorry handsome. Care to try again?"

Blake's face changed from smiling to one of determination. "Gladly." Blake returned his sword to the scabbard and readied for another attack. When Blake drew his sword, it had even greater power and speed, knocking the staff from underneath Sun before she could react.

Sun spun in the air and landed in a way that allowed her to spin the staff back to her hand. "Not bad."

"Better than you think." Blake returned his sword to the scabbard. The moment the sword was returned to its scabbard, Sun flew backward. Ruby could actually see the aura fly from Sun's back. It looked like one of those scenes from the movies.

Another movie scene made itself known when the damaged Sun disappeared.

"What the…?"

Sun reappeared smacking her staff into the back of Blake's head. Sun jumped from her attack and a cloud formed beneath her as she sat in midair. "To be fair, it looked cool."

Now Blake was mad, but it was difficult to tell beyond his calmed expression. After a moment he smiled. "That's good to hear."

Sun looked at Blake, confused. "It is?"

"Yeah. Because you won't see it now."

Sun raised an eyebrow. "What?" Sun then felt the impact of Blake's sword but Blake didn't seem to move. "How did…?"

"My semblance allows me to absorb the damage you deal and turn it into power and speed. Your last attack dealt serious damage. Therefore, I can deal back serious damage."

"And… you're okay just saying that in front of everyone?"

"I don't need deceptive tactics to win."

"Well, you won't win this anyway." Sun got ready and seemed serious for the first time in the match.

"We'll see…" Blake dropped into his own battle stance.

The two were about to charge each other when a loud tone interrupted them. "Time's up." Professor Torchwick called out. "You both have an even aura level. It's a tie."

"A tie?" Blake was more surprised than anything.

"Works for me." Sun had both hands behind her head and started to walk away.

Blake groaned a bit but walked out of the ring.

Torchwick addressed the class, "Alright that's everything for today. Get going to your next class."

The students filed out and the rest of RWBY met up with Blake. Blake was looking at his scroll at the moment they arrived. "How did she…?"

"What's up?" Ruby asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Sun Wukong put her number in my scroll, somehow."

"Damn, dude!" Yang walked over and draped his am over Blake's shoulders. "You must be quite the lady killer if you didn't even have to ask for it."

Blake just rolled his eyes. He returned the scroll to its resting place and started to walk toward their next class. "Let's get moving."

With that, the team moved on.

As they walked, Ruby got another text from that K-M-11, [ **You're doing well, Ruby Rose. But we still have a few more players to introduce before you can begin the climb toward the climax of the story. Good luck.** ] Ruby returned her scroll to its case and walked ahead with her team.

/\

 **King: Hooray for character intros! Seriously, the first few chapters are going to be a bit slow. Characters need to be introduced, plot points need to be set up, and the world needs to grow large enough to work with. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you have questions, use the PM, rather than the reviews, and I'll answer if I can.**


	3. Lessons

RWBY's next class was Grimm studies with Professor Port. Professor Port looked completely different. For one thing, he seemed younger, thinner, and was… wearing a kilt. He had the tall socks and a shirt that seemed to fit the theme. He had a giant claymore mounted on the wall above his desk. On his desk was an apple, a few folders, and a cow skull. Yeah… he still seemed a bit odd, but in a different way.

"Now then students…" To be fair, he sounded very similar, "…now that I've taken attendance, let's get to what you're here for." Port pulled down a screen and it was covered in various drawings and designs of the Grimm and attack patterns for each. "Grimm Studies. The only class where you're graded on your effectiveness of killing monsters."

As the class progressed, Ruby noticed another difference. This Port didn't tell odd stories of his personal adventures. Rather, he lectured and asked questions among the students to see if they're paying attention. It was a bit jarring, to honest.

When the class ended, Ruby and her team left for their next class of the day, History of Remnant with Prof-… sorry, _Doctor_ Oobleck. This Oobleck seemed a bit more organized than the Oobleck Ruby knew. For one thing, his shirt was totally tucked in, his tie was straight, and his shoes matched. He also spoke at a somewhat normal pace that everyone could keep track of while writing notes. Ultimately, it was uneventful for everyone else. Ruby was still trying to get over the fact that she could take coherent notes in Oobleck's without having to use her semblance for once.

As they left the class, they moved toward their last class for the day, Combat Theory. Blake nearly had a heart attack when Sun showed up in class, Yang clenched his fist when he saw Ren (who had his headphones on), and Weiss was hiding behind Ruby again. Ruby just looked on in a mixture of confusion and intrigue when she saw Nora. Nora looked positively controlled and calm. She had an air of power and sophistication, rather than the bubbly and hyperactive version Ruby knew. Pyrrha was just a little different as opposed to Nora's complete change. Pyrrha was still a warrior type, but she was far from undefeated. She actually admits to having lost as many times as she won any given match. Though, she sees the defeats as badges and the wins as medals; two different types of rewards as far she was concerned. Other than that, not much difference.

As the students sat and waited for the teacher to arrive, little conversations started. Ruby attempted to get Weiss to talk with her team, to little success. Success, none the less, but not much. Ruby was practically begging for the teacher to arrive.

Careful what you wish for… The door slowly creaked open and the class became quiet almost instantly. The teacher walked in and Ruby wasn't sure what she was seeing. The young man had grey hair and green eyes. He wore a dark purple suit vest and pants over a green button-up shirt. He looked through his glasses at the class.

"Hello class." His voice was that of a disciplinarian. It kind of reminded Ruby of Professor Goodwitch. "I'm certain your teachers began their classes by introducing themselves. I am Lyman Ozpin II. You will address me as Doctor Ozpin, so as not to confuse me with my father, the headmaster."

It was Ruby's turn to have a metaphorical heart attack. Headmaster Ozpin (likely the man in the green suit) had a son. Ideas about whether this offspring was brought about with Professor Goodwitch or someone she didn't know. The implications were clearly there!

"Now then, a word of advice. Don't think that because this is my first year of teaching, that I will be lenient. Any disruptive or unruly behavior will be punished as long as you're in my classroom. Understood?"

The students gave their own versions of confirmation to his statement.

"Good. Now then, let's get started." Doctor Ozpin started writing various phrases on the board for the students to take notes. Other than this, the class was substandard.

\/

As their last class ended, the students all filed out of the room. Ruby laughed when Sun had popped up next to Blake as they left just to make him jump. Yang was trying to get a rematch out of Ren. Weiss… was hiding behind Ruby, again. Ruby rolled her eyes but smiled the whole time. As she walked with her team, another text arrived on her scroll. She opened the device and found another message from K-M-11.

[ **You've now met most of the key players. Be careful Ruby Rose. It gets dangerous from here on out. Word of warning: you are a part of the story. Should you die in here, you will cease to be in your own world. Also, remember the rules as they have been told to you.** ]

Ruby returned her scroll. _I guess that makes sense… Didn't plan on dying, anyway._

"Sounds like you got quite the message." Ruby jumped at hearing this voice. She spun around to find Jaune standing behind her. "Sup?"

Ruby pulled him to the side and spoke in a hushed tone. "How did you know about that?"

Jaune started to laugh and smiled. "I didn't."

Ruby started to panic internally. _Does he know? What would happen if they find out? Does this count as me breaking the rule?_

Jaune starting walking around her. He was sizing her up. "So, you're the one they sent for the operation?" He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "Got to say, I'm unimpressed."

 _What is he talking about? Is this part of the story?_ "It seems…"

"Whatever. Doesn't matter, anyway. Keep your eyes and ears open and find the objective. I want to get out of this kiddie school A-S-A-P."

"You're hardly older than anyone here."

"I'm more experienced. Being from a mercenary family will do that."

"If you're a mercenary, why go to Beacon?"

"Part of the job. I'm stuck here 'till it's done."

"If you hate it here, why take the job at all?"

"Because, when I retire, I want a TV the size of a billboard."

"That can't be good for your eyes."

Jaune rolled said eyes. "Just keep to the mission and don't blow my cover. If you do…" Jaune produced a knife from his sleeve and held it out toward Ruby. "…I'll make sure it's the last thing you do. Understand?"

Ruby was far from calm, but she had to fake it for now. "Got it."

Jaune raised an eyebrow before walking away. He waved back dismissively. "Until next time."

Ruby let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "What's with this place…?"

\/

A few hours later, Ruby returned to her team's dorm room. She had to do something truly odd given the situation… knock. Now that two of her teammates were male, and given Weiss' overly shy nature, she couldn't just enter her room. After knocking, she was told the room was clear and entered the shared living space. She was met with a strange sight, at least to her…

Before her was a similar set of poorly constructed bunk beds. Weiss was shaking beneath her covers. Ruby would have questioned it, but then she saw the reason. Yang… Yang was laughing to himself, likely having said some stupid pun, but he was shirtless and, most likely, preparing for sleep. This overly shy Weiss probably couldn't process the situation well and is trying to hide in response. Thankfully, Blake had more modest attire: a black, short sleeve t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He was enjoying a book at the moment so Ruby didn't say anything.

Ruby was going to settle in when her scroll started to vibrate. She received a message from an unknown number, _not even from that weird author guy._

[ **Ruby Rose… you and I need to talk. Meet me in the courtyard. Now.** ]

Ruby wasn't sure she should… but she also wasn't sure she wanted to deal with whatever was going on here… Strange message from a mysterious individual that will likely result in a form of dangerous situation, or dealing with Yang… No contest. _To the courtyard!_

"Sorry guys, looks like I forgot something earlier. I'll be right back."

Ruby made her way to the courtyard, but dialed in the coordinates for her locker just in case. When she arrived, there was no one there. _This is probably a trap…_ Ruby stood there for a few minutes before someone walked up to her.

"Ruby Rose…"

Ruby turned to find Jaune. She wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing, given the situation.

"After our meeting, I did some digging and found your name in the records. Now then, you and I need to have a talk."

"About what, exactly?"

"About you keeping quiet despite not being my partner for the mission."

Ruby was a bit scared considering how her meeting with Jaune had played out earlier. "How did you find out?"

"My actual partner showed up. Now, let's talk…" He pulled out his knife.

Ruby moved for her scroll to call her weapon.

"There's no need for that." He pulls out a cloth and starts to polish the knife. "So long as you don't out me, we have nothing to fight over. Look, I need to be able to walk around without scrutiny as part of my mission."

"What _is_ your mission, anyway?"

"I'm not allowed to say. I can tell you that it is going to do some real good."

"Then why threaten me like that?"

"I heard rumors my partner for the mission was a dangerous psycho without any real allegiances. I did what I thought would keep the mission on track through threats of bodily harm. Nothing personal."

"So then, why call me out here now?"

"I wanted to try again without threats. I'm here on a mission that _has_ to remain secret. I don't always know who I can trust, after all. I want you to promise that you won't tell anyone."

Ruby calmed a bit. It was nice seeing this side of Jaune. "Okay. I promise."

"That's good. Until next time, Ruby." He walked off and waved back as he left.

Ruby took a deep breath and sighed. _This place is weird… but kind of like home._

/\

 **King: Chapter 3! Okay... it might not be the best so far, but there were some characters and details that needed to be introduced. From here, it will kick off. Be ready, friends... it begins.**


	4. Weekend at Beacon: Ruby

**King: It's back! A chapter is open at last!**

 **/\**

Ruby woke up and stretched. I nice weekend made its way to Beacon and Ruby was ready to make the most of it. She was going to, but then her scroll started to vibrate. _A text? This early?_ She picked it up to find a message from K-M-11. _What's this one about? Maybe he has a way out of here…_

[ **WHAT DID YOU DO?!** ]

Ruby could feel the emotions from the text. She had to reply. [ **What are you talking about?** ]

[ **Your second meeting with Jaune wasn't supposed to be for at least three more chapters.** ]

[ **How is that my fault?** ]

[ **You are the unknown factor.** ** _You_** **are the only thing here I don't control in some way. You are the one that can change things in the story. So… What did you do?** ]

[ **I didn't do anything.** ]

[ **Then what happened?** ]

[ **He said he found his partner and called me to the courtyard to ask that I don't reveal his identity.** ]

[ **So… nothing else? You didn't do anything out of the ordinary?** ]

[ **Nothing.** ]

[ **…** **this is not good…** ]

[ **What?** ]

[ **Just be more careful from now on. I can't say more right now.** ]

[ **Wait! What do you mean?** ]

After half an hour with no reply, Ruby just sighed and moved to get ready for the day.

\/

Ruby had left her team's room and boarded the Bullhead for Vale. When she arrived, she looked around the town for a weapon shop. She needed to restock on ammo, considering she wasn't able to bring the newer stuff with her when she crossed worlds and she only had the basic ammo. She needed specialized dust rounds and she was determined to find them. It didn't help that the town seems to have changed as well. The basic structure of the city was different, but so were many of the shops. When she finally found the shop, she had to walk through most of the city.

She walked in to find the old man that seems to run everything back in her world to be behind the counter here.

 _Weird… He's even running things here…_ Ruby walked up to the counter. "Do you have any high caliber dust rounds?"

The old man nodded and pointed her toward the back left of the store. Ruby walked back and found said dust bullets. She picked up a large number of the rounds and walked back to the counter to find it being robbed.

 _Seriously?_

Looking at the perpetrator was what really got her. He was a young man with silver hair and a clearly smug attitude. _Mercury Black._ Ruby set the dust aside and walked toward the counter.

Mercury looked over and spotted her. "Don't move!" He turned and pointed a handgun at her.

Ruby ran forward in a flash and disarmed him. In a flurry of rose petals, Mercury was forced outside and pushed into a nearby trash can. Ruby walked outside and grabbed her scythe for a counter attack. But it never came. Mercury was out cold. "Huh…" _Guess he's not as tough in this world…_

She walked back in when the police arrived and bought the ammunition she needed. As she walked back to the Bullhead station, she spotted her… brother… ( _Still working on getting used to that_ ) walking out of one of the clubs in town. He was cracking his knuckles and walking away. Ruby just chalked it up to Yang being Yang and continued walking.

At one point, she got another message on her scroll:

 **[Okay… I think I found a way to fix this, but you need to listen to me here.]** Another message from K-M-11.

Ruby responded to the message all the same. **[What do you need?]**

 **[Okay… I had to move a few things around to balance things. Mercury was supposed to be a bigger factor, but I cut him from the story to make sure everything works out.]**

 **[Okay… Is that it?]**

 **[Sadly, no. But it's not important right now. Just head back to the school and go about your day.]**

Ruby made her way back to the school and took stock of her ammo. When everything was in order, she started to clean her beloved Crescent Rose. The door creaked open and Ruby looked up to see her team. Yang had a nasty bruise on his cheek. Blake was just generally disheveled. Weiss… was a nervous wreck. "What happened to you guys?"

Yang walked over to the fridge they kept and pulled out an icepack. "I can tell you later."

Blake fell on his bed and passed out.

Weiss… huddled in a corner.

Ruby looked between her teammates before sighing. "Can't wait to hear this one…"

/\

 **King: uh… Okay. I'm not totally sure what's going on. I'm doing my best to keep things together, but it is proving to be difficult. If a certain red hooded huntress in training hadn't showed up, this would have been so much easier… Nothing for it now. I just need to fix a few things and it should all work out… right? Anyway, now for the important part, the next few chapters are going to be on the same day from different perspectives. I need to fix a few things and this will allow me a buffer. Don't judge… I need to do what I can to keep this world on the right track, or at least as close as possible to stable.**


	5. Weekend at Beacon: Yang

Yang woke up before the rest of his team. He yawned and looked out the window to watch as the sun rose over the cliffs at Beacon Academy. Despite his actions toward others, he did enjoy the quiet moments like this. His scroll's text tone rang out. He looked at the text to find a message from one of his friends. It said that the club "Junior's" had recently reopened and was having a special event to celebrate. Yang couldn't help but grin as he remembered his outing at the club before Beacon. He decided to go to the event and have a bit of fun. Yang put on his usual combat outfit and made his way to Junior's.

When he arrived, the bouncer nearly had a heart attack. "W-w-w-what are you doing here?"

Yang folded his arms and smirked. "What? I'm not allowed to visit a club for fun?"

"Uh… sure. I-I guess. Just… don't break anything. Please."

Yang walked passed him and waved. "No promises."

The club was finally back in order. The windows were fixed. The dance floor was back to normal. Everything seemed right as rain. The head of the bar was behind the counter as usual, working as the bartender. Yang walked up to the bar and gave a salute to a peace sign. "'sup Junior?"

"Don't call me that you blonde brute." This was Hei Xiong II. He hates it when you call him Junior, though. "What do you want this time?"

"Seriously, _Junior_ , lighten up."

"I swear to Oum. You call me that one more time and you'll go the way my dad went."

"Yikes. Okay I get it. Call you _that_ again and you'll string me up by my intestines… that about right?"

"And it'll hurt the whole time. Now, I'll ask again. What do you want this time?"

"I decided to stop by and enjoy the club."

"Bullshit."

"No. Really. That's why I'm here."

"Alright, but if you break something again I will make you pay for it."

"Don't worry. If something breaks today, it won't be because of me."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

A new voice entered the conversation. "Well, now. What have we here?"

Yang turned to see a young man that was all too familiar. "Hello… Neptune."

Neptune Vasilias. Yang met him back in combat school. The blue haired son of a bitch was a powerhouse, and it irritated Yang that he always lost to Neptune. "Trying to drink away the memories of your losses? Little young for that, don't you think?"

Yang was getting mad. He clenched the glass he was given and spoke through his teeth. "Don't need to. I don't bother to remember the bullshit."

"You only say that because I always kicked your ass."

Yang's anger boiled over and he crushed the glass in his hand, his aura preventing damage. "You want to go?!"

Neptune just smiled. "Bring it."

Hei put his arm between them. "Not here. You want to fight, take it somewhere else."

Neptune looked over to Hei. "Don't you own an underground fighting ring?"

Hei grabbed Neptune by his collar. "Why the hell are mentioning that here, dumbass?"

"Can we use it or not?"

Hei let him down and took a deep breath. "Fine. But if either of you blab about it to anyone: I _will_ find out, I _will_ hunt you down, and I will make you both wish you never born. Get it?"

"Got it."

"Good. Warehouse 7 in west Vale. Now, get out! Oh, and that glass will be 30 lien."

Yang looked at the shattered remains of the glass and paid out of pocket for the broken cup. With that, he left the club and made his way to the warehouse and the place he would finally beat Neptune.

\/

When Yang arrived at the warehouse, he walked in to find a large crowd of people surrounding a cage. They were cheering a match in the cage between two large men. Yang had to admit… he was not expecting this.

Neptune, who was leaning on the wall by the door, smirked. "We're up next. You don't mind a crowd, do you?"

Yang smirked back. "Just means all these people will watch me kick your ass."

"Keep telling yourself that."

The two walked to the cage and waited. When the match ended, they made their way inside. Yang kept his normal combat attire. Neptune decided to follow the theme and entered the ring shirtless and with bandages around his wrists; showing his tattoo, a trident along his spine accompanied by a series of chains radiating out around his arms and body.

Yang rolled his eyes and equipped his brass knuckles. "Well? You ready?"

Neptune laughed. "Always. But we have to wait for the people to make their bets."

Neptune was correct about that. The people outside were placing their bets about who would win the fight. The general consensus was that Yang would win, but it was fairly even overall. The betting stopped the bell was rung.

Yang dropped, ready for a fight. "Alright. Now, I kick your ass."

"Hold on."

"What now? They rung the bell!"

"I know. But I feel like making this as clear as possible. Free shot. I want you to hit me as hard as you can."

"Oh?"

"Now hold on. You might have misheard me. Not 'half as hard,' not some arbitrary percentage. I want you to hit me as hard as you can."

Yang smirked. "And if I don't play along?"

"Then I guess your uncle was right about you."

That pushed Yang over the edge. He charged forward and brought his fist to Neptune's jaw. It stopped and seemed to do very little. "Wha…?"

"Consider that nerve touched."

"How?!"

"Simple. I have a real control over my semblance now. You could do damage back then. But now…" He raised his hand and a cloud of moisture solidified above him to create a trident made of ice. He landed the attack on Yang's jaw, leaving a bruise. Yang was sent flying into the cage as a result. "Now, I know you suck with following directions. So, I'm going to give you one last chance. You. Me. Hard as you can. Are we clear?"

Yang was positively furious. "Crystal." He took a deep breath and pulled back his fist. He focused his aura into his hand. The increased pressure on his hand hurt like hell, but he was intent on putting Neptune down a notch. "Aura crush fist!" He charged forward.

"Oh how cute. He named it…" Yang was right in front of him in no time. It was here that he could practically feel the aura around Yang's hand. "Oh shit!"

Yang brought his hand to Neptune's jaw with enough force to shatter bone. Not break… shatter. Neptune went spinning and flying into the cage. On impact, he flew through the cage.

Yang paused a moment, _Wait… What?_

The Neptune that flew through did not disturb the cage. After a moment, he burst into water droplets.

"What?"

"Someone wasn't paying attention before." Neptune was leaning against the cage. He raised his hand and the air around Yang became humid.

Yang was having difficulty moving. The humidity was getting to him, and rather quickly. "Damn it!"

Neptune stood and folded his arms. "Your semblance… your heightened senses… it's a great thing until you realize that touch is a sense. You feel everything at a higher degree. You feel the pain more than others. I can use that by increasing the humidity around you and heating up the area. You feel the effects faster than others and the increase of one degree I set up would feel like some 25 to you. Now, I think we're done here."

Yang couldn't keep up much longer. He passed out from the heat caused by the humidity. He woke up a few minutes later in a room in the warehouse for injured fighters. "What happened?"

"I kicked your ass, again." Neptune was leaning against the wall.

Yang fell back. "Shit."

"To be fair, knowing your semblance while you didn't know mine did help. If I didn't have something set up for your attack, the situation would be reversed. We should do this again. It's always fun to spar with you, Xiao Long. Until next time." With that, Neptune left the area.

Yang laid their a few minutes before he was able to stand up again. He was still sore, but the heightened senses will do that after a fight. He eventually made his way back to Beacon. He met up with Blake, who looked like he went through a blender. "Do I even want to know?"

"Sun…"

"Ah…"

The two made their way back to their dorm room, where Ruby was waiting. "What happened to you guys?"

Yang walked over to the fridge they kept and pulled out an icepack. "I can tell you later."

Blake fell on his bed and passed out.

Weiss… huddled in a corner.

Ruby looked between her teammates before sighing. "Can't wait to hear this one…"

/\

 **King: Alright. I've almost got things together. At least I got Neptune in... Anyway, here's hoping you guys liked it.**


End file.
